Why are countries throwing money at IShowSpeed to visit them?
Darren 'IShowSpeed' Watkins Jr. is turning his chaotic livestreams into government-funded tourism campaigns, and the numbers are wild. The 20-year-old streamer, known for barking on camera and sprinting shirtless through airports, is now being
paid by actual countries
to visit and promote them.
Speed's European invasion is not just for content; it's big business
Earlier this month, Speed was spotted filming in the Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia each reportedly dropped around $35,000 to bring him in. That includes a $20,000 appearance fee for Speed and about $10,000 to cover local logistics like security, transport, and on-ground coordination.
From throwing a discus with an Olympic medalist in Lithuania to cruising through Latvian streets with a driver who once chauffeured Michael Jackson (true story), Speed's trip was anything but ordinary.
And it worked. In Estonia alone, his July 15 livestream drew nearly 2 million viewers. That's not counting the hundreds of viral clips that flooded TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram in the days that followed.
In Estonia he even got a personal tour of the Prime Minister's home. No press conference, no official statements, just a live chat with one of the country's top political figures... in front of a screaming Twitch chat.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Governments bet big on virality, and
IShowSpeed
delivers
Tourism officials across the Baltics defended the spending, calling it a
strategic investment
. With millions of young travelers glued to influencers rather than brochures, destinations are desperate for relevance in the scroll era.
'Every destination is fighting for the attention of the same travelers,'
one tourism rep said.
It's not just about views, either. Countries are banking on a ripple effect, the post-stream buzz, the memes, the sudden surge in Gen Z searches for 'Estonia flights.'
This isn't even new for Speed, it's just leveling up
Speed's been on a worldwide streamer spree lately across Asia, South America, Europe, Oceania, and now, he's back on Twitch too. After being reinstated on the platform, he gained 600,000+ followers in just eight days.
He's also eyeing something wild: a space livestream, possibly with Elon Musk.
He wants to be the first streamer to go live from space, and yes, he's kind of racing Kai Cenat for that title.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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